Academic Language Unit: January 8, 2014 Mini Lessons:
DIFFERENTIATING ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
Differentiating academic language: Part One
Differentiating to support students who are not yet proficient with academic language
Provide and encourage students to use textual supportàRead vocabulary from list or word wall
Students need to learn language of topic AND how to properly do it. Clear expectations and format!
Provide scripts (especially low level ELL) that students can read to practice academic language in a contextàThey can be created entirely by the teacher OR they can be sentence frames that students use to write and talkàHere’s an example I used with newcomer ELL students:
Provide exemplar: “My book is about _ and the main theme is _. The primary character is __.....”
Provide MULTIPLE opportunities for practice in low stress situations
Talking to you
Talking to peer
Part Two
Differentiating to challenge students who are proficient with academic language
Challenge students’ assertions by asking them to provide textual evidence (adolescents often say things that are not supported by evidence)
Ask students to practice uncomfortable conversational “roles” such as:
Synthesizer
Person who invites others into the conversation
“Todd, what did you think about this?”àTodd feels valued and empowered!!!
Person who asks others to provide evidence to support their thinking
Person who restates, academically, what others have said informally
Ask them to learn and be able to explain a point of view that isn’t their own
Use of native language in the classroom
How do you feel about it?
One opinion: Yes, With Limits
Strong students mentoring weak students allowed the weaker students to have great engagement and understanding
Need to feel it out when it’s appropriate and not appropriate
Diversity of language in the classroom: Many languages present in the classroom, not always just Spanish
Research Says…
The best way for students to learn English AND content is with the use of their native language
The Challenge:
Diversity of language in the classroom: Many languages present in the classroom, not always just Spanish
ASSESSING ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
Plan It
Where are the students at the beginning?
Teach It
Practice MULTIPLE times in MULTIPLE ways
Assess
Rubrics! Including the words that students need to be able to use. Create a task that allows for the students to do so.
If end goal is a presentation, rubric needs to show balance of content and skill of talking/writing
BIGGEST THING: You have to teach it if you are going to successfully assess it
*Sometimes there is an end project that includes a graded TALK project—if so, you will need to plan for this more specifically
Tips:
-Do not assign a project/presentation without scaffolding or build up to it
-Please don’t tell kids they can’t speak their native language in their classroom!
SHARE SESH:
1. What is your current definition of academic language? -Describes complex, abstract concepts -Content specific vocabulary/concepts -Complex grammar structures -Linked to the culture of power -Ways of speaking, gestures, body language -Dense speaking with minimal filler words -NOT conversational or casual -Conventional -High-fallutin'/ostentatious -Exclusive for people outside the group
January 10, 2014: Academic Language Unit (Afternoon Session)
Mentor Texts: -Scaffold the writing of students -Provide proficient or published examples of content area writing -Should be used multiple times for different aspects of writing -Can provide a packet with various levels of mentor texts to address the many levels of students in your classroom
ELL Example: “Immigration Story”: Three paragraph paper writing
àWhat types of mentor texts could you envision using within your content area? -Definitely can use bad examples to teach something -But….if they take something home, make it the GOOD example
àIssues of Plagiarism -Not if you teach them how to effectively cite and refer to the text to support their original work >Can even underline the sentences or chunks of the text they can refer to
Mini Lesson: Feedback
-Follow a writing process >During writing process: Talk and confer with students
-Write/comment on aspects of the rubric >Limit your comments; help students FOCUS (saves you time, too!)
-Don’t write lots of random comments on final copy
-Ways to validate and value students’ writing:
-Create a publishing experience (Write a blog, school newspaper) >Exciting and it’s not only you validating them
-Peer Review Tip
-Have students use the mentor text and rubric to make comments on peer’s paper
Mini Lesson: Grammar/Mechanics
-If you are going to ding students, you need to have TAUGHT it and have it be on a RUBRIC
-ELL Students: Provide a LIMITED amount of grammar structures you want them to hold to >Can progress through the year and build the number of requirements
-Try to make sense with what you are teaching >Don’t focus on future tense in a personal narrative
-WHEN THERE ARE STUDENTS WHO NEED MORE GUIDANCE: “I have a feeling that some people want to work on grammar in this class and there are some people who need to work on it. If you are someone who wants to work on it-I have an info sheet/more specific rubric for you.” >If there is a student who does not come for help, but needs it: -Talk privately about it and let them make the decision
-When you provide extra support, students usually take it (BUT BUILD THAT CULTURE!)
January 16, 2014
Mini Lesson: Writing Process
Writing Cycle: Collecting à NarrowingàChoosing a topicàCollecting on the topicßDraftingàRevisingàEditingàPublishing
Drafting process swings back and forth a lot: this is where most of the writing occurs!
Editing: Strictly dealing with form and punctuation
History Example: Provided “Include evidence” and “Include analysis” steps amidst drafting area of writing cycle
What mini lessons do you need to teach and supply for your students prior to writing?
12th Graders should be able to do their collecting on their own
Writing Cycle=simply a process for getting writing done -Can be used alongside “Step Up,” etc.
Mini Lesson: Teaching grammar and mechanics in context
When you plan a unit, you need to think about what grammar and language students need to use and teach it as you go along
NOT DO: Say students are going to write an essay about what will happen in the future and then teach about past tense! If you see common grammar mistakes-take the time to teach it to everyone!
What if you don’t know how to teach grammar, but you know what you want students to know?
-Talk to an older language arts teacher -The internet!!!
Mini Lesson: Beginning ELL Supportive writing
VERY SUPPORTIVE
-Paragraph fill in the blanks
-Paragraph frames
-Sentence Stems
-Mentor Texts
LESS SUPPORTIVE
STEPS:
Collecting (Immigration Story Collection #1-Living in your country) (40 min)
Provide a paper with
When were you born?
Where were you born?
Who lived in your house with you?
Why did your family decide to immigrate
What happened when you emigrated
Provide a paper with
Who told you that you were going to immigrate?
How did it feel when you found out
The trip
Provide a paper with
Who did you travel with?
How did you travel?
Where did you start?
How did it feel when you started?
How did you feel when you arrived
Drafting (Week and a half later)
This is not creative writing-people learn through imitation.
Gives opportunity to approximate high school work and get a sense for expectations and form.
Mini Lessons:
DIFFERENTIATING ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
ASSESSING ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
*Sometimes there is an end project that includes a graded TALK project—if so, you will need to plan for this more specifically
Tips:
-Do not assign a project/presentation without scaffolding or build up to it
-Please don’t tell kids they can’t speak their native language in their classroom!
SHARE SESH:
1. What is your current definition of academic language?
-Describes complex, abstract concepts
-Content specific vocabulary/concepts
-Complex grammar structures
-Linked to the culture of power
-Ways of speaking, gestures, body language
-Dense speaking with minimal filler words
-NOT conversational or casual
-Conventional
-High-fallutin'/ostentatious
-Exclusive for people outside the group
1. Worksheet that helps students FRAME SENTENCES for ACADEMIC LANGUAGE specifically for Social Studies!
2. Fantastic set of documents that list, define and apply ACADEMIC LANGUAGE for Secondary Social Studies.
January 10, 2014: Academic Language Unit (Afternoon Session)
Mentor Texts:
-Scaffold the writing of students
-Provide proficient or published examples of content area writing
-Should be used multiple times for different aspects of writing
-Can provide a packet with various levels of mentor texts to address the many levels of students in your classroom
ELL Example: “Immigration Story”: Three paragraph paper writing
àWhat types of mentor texts could you envision using within your content area?
-Definitely can use bad examples to teach something
-But….if they take something home, make it the GOOD example
àIssues of Plagiarism
-Not if you teach them how to effectively cite and refer to the text to support their original work
>Can even underline the sentences or chunks of the text they can refer to
Mini Lesson: Feedback
-Follow a writing process
>During writing process: Talk and confer with students
-Write/comment on aspects of the rubric
>Limit your comments; help students FOCUS (saves you time, too!)
-Don’t write lots of random comments on final copy
-Ways to validate and value students’ writing:
-Create a publishing experience (Write a blog, school newspaper)
>Exciting and it’s not only you validating them
-Peer Review Tip
-Have students use the mentor text and rubric to make comments on peer’s paper
Mini Lesson: Grammar/Mechanics
-If you are going to ding students, you need to have TAUGHT it and have it be on a RUBRIC
-ELL Students: Provide a LIMITED amount of grammar structures you want them to hold to
>Can progress through the year and build the number of requirements
-Try to make sense with what you are teaching
>Don’t focus on future tense in a personal narrative
-WHEN THERE ARE STUDENTS WHO NEED MORE GUIDANCE: “I have a feeling that some people want to work on grammar in this class and there are some people who need to work on it. If you are someone who wants to work on it-I have an info sheet/more specific rubric for you.”
>If there is a student who does not come for help, but needs it:
-Talk privately about it and let them make the decision
-When you provide extra support, students usually take it (BUT BUILD THAT CULTURE!)
January 16, 2014
Mini Lesson: Writing Process
Writing Cycle: Collecting à NarrowingàChoosing a topicàCollecting on the topicßDraftingàRevisingàEditingàPublishing
Drafting process swings back and forth a lot: this is where most of the writing occurs!
Editing: Strictly dealing with form and punctuation
History Example: Provided “Include evidence” and “Include analysis” steps amidst drafting area of writing cycle
What mini lessons do you need to teach and supply for your students prior to writing?
12th Graders should be able to do their collecting on their own
Writing Cycle=simply a process for getting writing done
-Can be used alongside “Step Up,” etc.
Mini Lesson: Teaching grammar and mechanics in context
When you plan a unit, you need to think about what grammar and language students need to use and teach it as you go along
NOT DO: Say students are going to write an essay about what will happen in the future and then teach about past tense!
If you see common grammar mistakes-take the time to teach it to everyone!
What if you don’t know how to teach grammar, but you know what you want students to know?
-Talk to an older language arts teacher
-The internet!!!
Mini Lesson: Beginning ELL Supportive writing
VERY SUPPORTIVE
-Paragraph fill in the blanks
-Paragraph frames
-Sentence Stems
-Mentor Texts
LESS SUPPORTIVE
STEPS:
This is not creative writing-people learn through imitation.
Gives opportunity to approximate high school work and get a sense for expectations and form.
Don’t worry about “giving the answers.”
2/5/14
Conversations with MCBH Students: